Automatic primer loader



March 15, 1966 wl R, LAMONT 3,240,103

AUTOMATIC PRIMER LOADER Filed Sept. 22, 1964 @frana/1101500.91127 Y arms INVENTOR.

/7 rfaFA/IKS( United States Patent 3,240,103 AUTOMATIC PRIMER LOADER Walter R. Lamont, 28100 Terrence Drive, Livonia, Mich. Filed Sept. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 398,209 4 Claims. (Cl. 86-38) This invention relates generally to article handling, and particularly to `a device `for delivering iirearm shell primers in a predetermined orientation to a magazine for a shell loading device.

Shell load-ing `devices for reloading used shotgun shells are known and are commercially available today. These devices conventionally include structure for replacing the spent shell primer caps with new primer caps containing a small amount of highly explosive powder charge, loading the shell-s with powder and sho-t charges and crimping the shell case end. To accomplish this end, the new lprimer caps, hereinafter referred to as primers, must be delivered individually and in a selected orientation to the shell loader. In the basic shell loader, the primers are m-anually placed in the priming station before each shell is loaded; however, an auxiliary primer feeder adapted to automatically feed the primers .to the priming station is commercially available. In these primer feeders, the primers are conveniently carried within an elongated tube-like magazine sized to freely receive the primers and maintain a selected orientation thereof. The powder and shot charge are housed in containers also conveniently attached to the loader and the loader is constructed so that each used shell conveniently has its primer replaced with a new one and is loaded with a powder and shot charge and the shell case end thereafter crimped.

One of the most time-consuming and tedious opera- Itions required in reloading used shells by using these nearly automatic shell loading devices deals w-ith delivering new primers to the loader magazine. Conventionally, these primers are sold in commercial disposable-type containers and the loader-operator in transferring these primers from their containers to the loader magazine tube is required to manually deliver each of the primers individually to the tube and at the same time making sure that each is properly oriented at the time f delivery. Because of the relatively small size of these primers, this is an extremely tedious oper-ation and, in fact, knowledge of this might act to deter one from purchasing an automatic primer feeder of use with his shell loader.

A principal object of the present invention, therefore, is a primer handling device for a shell loader adapted to deliver primers in a predetermined orientation individually to a primer magazine tube without physical handling thereof.

A fur-ther object of the present invention is a primer handling device of the above character adapted to readily receive primers from commercial d-isposable type containers and maintain proper orientation thereof for delivery to a primer magazine tube.

A further object of the present inven-t-ion is a primer handling device of the above character which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, sturdy in construction and reliable in use.

lFurther objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partly broken away of a primer handling device constructed according to the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 taken in the direction of the arrow 2 and with a portion of the top removed for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the structure of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3 thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the primer handler of FIGS. 1-3 showing the technique of delivering primers thereto from a conventional disposable-type commercial container.

B-roadly described, the primer handling device of the present invention includes a portable container sized to eas-ily receive primers from a conventional disposabletype commercial package and effectively maintain adesired orientation thereof and adapted to readily deliver these oriented primers individually to a primer feeder magazine tube.

Referring now to the drawings, the primer handling device embodying the principles of the present invention is seen to include a container illustrated generally at 11 which is adapted to deliver a plurality of shell primers 12 which have been positioned therein to a shell primer feeder magazine tube or magazine extension tube 13. This container 11 is formed with a generally flat bottom portion 14 having spaced upwardly extending side walls 15 and 17 and end wall portions 19 and 21 and can be constructed of any suitable rigid lightweight material and the components thereof can be formed either integrally as by molding or they can be individually formed and thereafter joined together, using a suitable adhesive or mechanical ty-pe fasteners. The materials from which the container 1'1 can be made include metal, wood, hard rubber, synthetic or natural plastic materials of either the the thermoplastic or thermosetting type, including the phenolics, polyesters, epoxies, vinyls, polystyrenes, polyethylenes, and the like.

The container 11 is provided with a removable top portion 23 which extends from a position above and overlying the container end wall 19 to a position above `the inner edge of the end Wall 21 and is slidably guided in longitudinally extending ways 25 and 27 formedA in vthe side walls 15 and 17, respectively. The portion of the container 11 above the end wall 21 is covered, in the device illustrated, by a iixed top portion 29 also retained in the ways 25 and 27. Each of the top portions 23 and 29 may be constructed from any of the materials indicated above as suitable for the container 11. In the device illustrated, these top portions are formed from-a transparent material such as, for example, glass or plastic, to readily make visible the container contents.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the top portions 23 and 29 are spaced from the -container bottom 14 a distance slightly greater than the axial length of the primers 12 disposed wit-hin the container 11 to facilitate easy sliding movement of the primers therein while preventing these primers from tipping over. As shown, the primers 12 are conventionally formed with a generally cylindrical portion 31 and a radially outwardly extending anged portion 33 at one end. The primers i12 are positioned within the container 11 with their flanges 33 do-Wn and are adapted to be delivered in this position to `the tube 13 as is required by the shell loading devices.

To deliver the primers 12 from within the container 11 to the magazine tube 13, a rotatable feed wheel assembly indicated generally at 35 is provided and is disposed within the end wall portion 21 of the container 11. The wheel assembly 35 includes a generally disc-shaped feed wheel 37 having a central aperture 38 therein and disposed within a slot 39 of circular configuration formed in the end wall 21 and opening inwardly thereof into the container 11. The feed Wheel 37 is designed for free rotation within the slot 39 by having a diameter slightly 0 lless than this slot and is mounted for rotation with a pin 41 nonrotatably received Within the aperture 38. The pin 41 also extends through and is rotatably received by the container top portion 29 and bottom 14. A pair of washers 43 and 45 are rigidly mounted on the pin on either side of the wheel 37 for engageme-nt with the container top 29 and bottom 14, respectively, to position the wheel 37 axially within the slot 39 spaced from the top and bottom. Alternatively, the washers 43 and 45 could be formed integral with the wheel 37 as hubs. The washer 45 is dimensioned slightly thicker than the thickness or axial dimension of the primer flanges 33. A suitable hand knob 47 is rigidly mounted on the portion of the pin 41 extending outwardly of the container top 29 so that rotation of the knob causes rotation of the pin `and the feed wheel 37.

As shown best in FIG. 2, the feed wheel 37 is formed with a plurality of spaced notches 48 around its periphery, each of which includes an arcuate portion 49 for positive feed of the primers and a tapered portion 50 to guide the primers to the arcuate portion. In accordance with this invention, the arcuate portion 49 of the notches has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 31 of the primers 12 to facilitate easy passage of the primers through the slot 39 during rotation of the wheel 37. In addition, the slot 39 is formed with an enlarged portion 51 adjacent the container bottom 14 having an axial dimension slightly greater than the axial thickness of the primer flanges 33 and substantially the same as the thickness of the washer 45. Thus, as the primers 12 positioned in the notches 48 move through the slot 39 with rotation of the wheel 37, the primer cylindrical portion 31 rides freely along the wall of the slot 39 with the flanges 33 extending freely within the enlarged portion 51. In addition, the Wheel 37 is precluded from contact with the primer flanges 33 to prevent jamming of the feed assembly by the washer 45 which, as set forth above, is slightly thicker than the flanges 33.

To permit delivery of the primers 12 individually to the magazine tube 13, an opening 53 is formed in the container bottom 14 adjacent a side edge of the slot 39 and underlying this slot and the enlarged portion 51. This opening 53 is dimensioned slightly larger than the diameter of the primer flanges 33 to permit free passage of the primers therethrough while maintaining these flanges downward. Positioned below the opening 53 is a generally cylindrical sleeve-type adaptor S having a bore 57 communicating with the opening 53 and of substantially the same size. The adaptor 55 may be formed of any of the materials indicated above for the container 11 and suitably attached thereto. In addition, the adaptor has a counterbored portion 59 positioned below the opening 57 and adapted to receive the end portion of the magazine tube 13. Thus, as the primers 12 reach the opening 53 in the container bottom 14, they pass freely through the continuous passage formed by the `openings 53 and 57 and the tube 13; and since this passage is sized only slightly larger than the primer flanges 33, the primers are prevented from tipping and pass therethrough with their flanges down.

As set forth hereinabove, a tedious and therefore undesirable segment of operating a shot shell loader has been the necessity of manually placing the primers individually in the magazine tube from the commercial box in which they are sold. The present invention, however, permits the user to easily deposit a full box of properly orientated primers into the container 11 in one simple step. As shown in FIG. 4, note a box having an outer hollow case 61 in which is disposed a protective filler 63 of corrugated configuration forming parallel grooves 65 for receiving the primers 12 to prevent inadvertent or accidental primer ring. These grooves 65 are conventionally sized to receive the cylinderical portion 31 of the primers with the flanged portions 33 resting upon the portions of the filler 63 adjacent these grooves. The container 11 is designed with the hollow portion formed by the bottom 14, the side walls and 17, and the end walls 19 and 21 larger than the box case 61 so that with removal of the top portion 23, the container can be placed over the box case 61 as shown in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the container 11 and box case 61 are inverted and the box case removed with the result that the primers 12 are positioned within the container and remain properly orientated.

The top portion 23 is then replaced in the container ways 25 and 27 and the adaptor 5S is fitted upon the magazine tube with the opening 59 receiving thetube end. Conventionally, the magazine tube 13 is removably fixed to the loader device. Thus, to deliver the primers 12 to the tube 13, the tube is first removed from a sleeve 67 which may be a part of the loader or a part of the main magazine where a magazine extension tube is used. Thereafter, the container 11 is positioned on the tube end as described above. The end of the tube 13 remote from the container 11 may be temporarily closed Iby a cotter pin 69 or simply by the operator holding his finger thereover. The container 11 and tube 13 are thereafter tilted slightly thereby causing the primers 12 to slide toward the feed wheel assembly 35. To facilitate guiding of the primers finto the feed wheel 37, the end wall 21 is formed with faces 71 converging to the slot 39. The feed wheel 37 is then rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 by rotation of the hand knob 47 whereupon the primers 12 are engaged by the arcuate portions 49 of successive ones of the notches 48 and are carried around the slot 39. As each of the primers reaches the opening 53 in the container bottom 14, they fall by gravity therethrough and into the magazine tube 13 with their flanges 33 down. This operation is continued until the desired number of primers 12 are within the tube 13, after which the tube is reattached to the loader or magazine sleeve 67 and the cotter pin 69 removed from the tube end whereupon the loader is ready for use.

The present invention has resulted in facilitating delivery of the primers 12 to the magazine tube 13 in a fraction of the time previously necessary for manual delivery of the primers. Thus, not only does the present invention speed up the shell loading process, but also a previously extremely tedious process is entirely eliminated thereby making these shell loading devices much more desirable commercially.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail above, various additions, substitutions, modifications and omissions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as encompassed in the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shot shell primer handling device for primers having cylindrical portion and a radial flanged portion at one end thereof comprising a container having a generally flat bottom portion,

a generally flat top portion removably carried by said container and spaced from the container bottom a distance slightly greater than the axial length of said primers,

an opening of a size slightly greater than said primer flanged portion formed in the container bottom adjacent one end thereof,

feed means rotatably disposed in said container adjacent said opening including a wheel having spaced slots formed in the periphery thereof of a preselected size and adapted to overlie said opening,

said feed means being spaced from said container bot-A tom a distance greater than the axial length of said primer flanged portion,

whereby said primers are maintained in an upright position within said container and are delivered individually to said opening by rotation of said feed wheel.

2. A shot shell primer handling device for primers having a cylindrical portion and a radial flanged portion at one end thereof comprising,

a hollow container having a generally flat bottom portion and an upwardly extending wall portion at one end thereof, i

a generally llat top portion removably carried by said container and spaced from the container bottom a distance slightly greater than the axial length of said primers,

an arcuate slot formed in said wall portion spaced from said container end and having a large diameter portion adjacent said container bottom and a reduced diameter portion extending upwardly therefrom,

an opening of a size slightly greater than said primer flanged portion formed in the container bottom adjacent a side edge of said slot,

a feed wheel rotatably disposed in said arcuate slot and having a diameter slightly less than the reduced diametered portion of said slot,

said feet wheel being spaced from said container bottom a distance greater than the axial length of said primer anged portion,

said wheel having a plurality of spaced slots of a size slightly greater than the primer cylindrical portion formed in the periphery thereof and adapted to overlie said opening,

means extending outwardly of said container adapted to rotate said wheel,

whereby said primers are maintained in an upright position within said container and are delivered individually to said opening by rotation of said feed wheel.

3. A shot shell primer handling device for primers having a cylindrical portion and a radial flanged portion at one end thereof comprising a container sized to receive a conventional disposable type commercial primer container and having a generally flat bott-om portion,

a generally ilat top portion removably carried by said last-mentioned container and spaced from the container bottom a distance slightly greater than the axial length of said primers,

an opening of a size slightly greater than said primer flanged portion formed in the container bottom adjacent one end thereof,

hollow means extending outwardly of said container bottom adjacent said opening and adapted to receive an end portion of a shell loader magazine tube,

feed means rotatably disposed in said container adjacent said opening including a wheel having spaced slots formed in the periphery thereof of a preselected size and adapted to overlie said opening,

means positioned between said feed wheel and said container 'bottom spacing said feed wheel from said container bottom a distance greater than the axial length of said primer flanged portion,

whereby said primers are maintained in an upright position within said container and are delivered individually to said opening and through said hollow means to said magazine tube by rotation of said feed wheel.

4. A shot shell primer handling device for primers having a cylindrical portion and a radial flanged portion at one end thereof comprising,

a hollow container sized to receive a conventional disposable type -commercial primer container and having a generally flat bottom portion and an upwardly extending wall portion at one end thereof,

a generally flat top portion removably carried by said container and spaced from the container bottom a distance slightly greater than the axial length of said primers,

said upwardly extending wall portion being formed with tapered portions inwardly of said container one end and converging to an arcuate slot formed in said wall portion spaced from said container end and having a large diameter portion adjacent said container bottom and a reduced diameter portion extending upwardly therefrom,

an opening of a size slightly greater than said primer flanged portion formed in the container bottom adjacent a side edge of said slot,

hollow means extending outwardly of said container bottom and surrounding said opening and adapted to receive an end portion of a shell loader magazine tube,

a feed wheel rotatably disposed in said arcuate slot and having a diameter slightly less than the reduced diametered portion of said slot,

said feed wheel being spaced from said container bottom a distance greater than the axial length of said primer flanged portion,

said wheel having a plurality of spaced slots of a size slightly greater than the primer cylindrical portion formed in the periphery thereof and adapted to overlie said opening,

means extending 4outwardly of said container adapted to rotate said wheel,

whereby said primers are maintained in an upright position within said container and are delivered individually to said opening and through said hollow means to said magazine tube by rotation of said feed wheel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 34,919 4/1862 Alsop. 1,928,603 9/1933 Skareen 221-277 X 2,684,179 7/1954 Sachs 221-277 X 2,794,359 6/1957 Lyman et al. 86-38 3,128,668 4/1964 Dicken 86-45 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. R. V. LOTTMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SHOT SHELL PRIMER HANDLING DEVICE FOR PRIMERS HAVING CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A RADIAL FLANGED PORTION AT ONE END THEREOF COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT BOTTOM PORTION, A GENERALLY FLAT TOP PORTION REMOVABLY CARRIED BY SAID CONTAINER AND SPACED FROM THE CONTAINER BOTTOM A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE AXIAL LENGTH OF SAID PRIMERS, AN OPENING OF A SIZE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN SAID PRIMER FLANGED PORTION FORMED IN THE CONTAINER BOTTOM ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, FEED MEANS ROTATABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CONTAINER ADJACENT SAID OPENING INCLUDING A WHEEL HAVING SPACED SLOTS FORMED IN THE PERIPHERY THEREOF OF A PRESELECTED SIZE AND ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID OPENING, SAID FEED MEANS BEING SPACED FROM SAID CONTAINER BOTTOM A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE AXIAL LENGTH OF SAID PRIMER FLANGED PORTION, WHEREBY SAID PRIMERS ARE MAINTAINED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND ARE DELIVERED INDIVIDUALLY TO SAID OPENING BY ROTATION OF SAID FEED WHEEL. 